Home of World Athletics

The 2013-2016 IAAF Strategic Plan has six Core Values: universality, leadership, unity, excellence, integrity and solidarity, and a Vision Statement: “To lead, govern and develop the sport of athletics in all its forms worldwide, uniting the Athletics Family in a spirit of excellence, integrity and solidarity.”

Home of World Athletics

Colombians shine at South American Race Walking champs

Colombia captured three victories and emerged as the top nation of the 2012 South American Race Walking Championships, which were held at Salinas, an Ecuadoran coastal city about 120km west of Guayaquil, on 17-18 March.

Individually, the best performance came from the 18-year-old Colombian Sandra Arenas, who won the junior 10km race in 45:17, setting a new South American record. The previous mark belonged to Ecuadorian Miriam Ramón since 1989 (46:16).

Arenas, the 2011 South American junior champion at 10,000m, also improved hugely her personal best of 47:22.68, set in 2011 in Medellín. Bolivians Ángela Castro (national junior record of 47:00) and Wendy Cornejo (personal best of 47:01) completed the podium.

Brazilians Caio Bonfim and Érica de Sena captured victories at the 20km races. Twenty-one year-old Bonfim equaled his road personal best with a 1:23:59 clock, to beat Colombian James Rendón (1:24:06) and another Brazilian, Moacir Zimmermann (1:24:34). “This was an important victory for my, as it was my second in the adult category,” said Bonfim. “Now I need to reach the qualifying time for the London Olympic Games,” he added.

Érica de Sena won the women’s 20km race, but not the Championships, since she was taking part as an extra competitor, not included in the official Brazilian delegation. The 26-year-old from Pernambuco (who resides in Guayaquil) clocked 1:33:24, missing Tânia Spindler’s national record by 1 second. The actual South American champion was Colombian Arabelly Orjuela, who also set a personal best with 1:34:41, followed by the 2011 South American track champion, Colombian Ingrid Hernández (1:34:56), and by Venezuelan Milánggela Rosales (1:36:45).

In the other race of Olympic distance, Brazilian Mário José dos Santos won the 50km event – held on the warm Sunday morning – in 4:12:52, ahead of Ecuadorian Jonathan Cáceres (4:14:45).

In the remaining events for younger categories, Colombian Eider Arévalo, the 2010 World Cup winner, grabbed the victory at the junior 10km in 43:25. While in the youth events, Peruvian Paolo César Yurivilca (45:00 at 10km) and Ecuadorian Karla Jaramillo (24:49) obtained the titles.